In a TV program, when questioned by anchor Arfa Khanum Shirazi, Pravin Sawhney stated, “We cannot achieve anything by attacking Pakistan.”
Pravin Sawhney further elaborated that the attack on Pakistan had also damaged India’s international reputation. He remarked that the entire world was observing the kind of milit power India displayed during the crisis. He criticized the use of the air force in Balakot, suggesting that “at that time they did not even know that we were doing it.”
He added that this time, Pakistan was fully prepared for India’s air strikes. Sawhney emphasized that any attack should have clear milit targets.
Pravin Sawhney asserted that milit installations should have been targeted, not “terrorist camps,” as these are not considered milit targets. He recalled that on the morning of May 7, Pakistan’s Air Marshal Aurangzeb presented evidence claiming five Indian planes had been shot down. When India’s Air Marshal Bharti was questioned, he reportedly responded that “there are losses in war.”
Sawhney also warned that if India fails to provide a complete explanation, the world would accept Pakistan’s claims. He referenced the DG ISPR’s statement, “now we will respond.”
Pravin Sawhney noted reports that Ajit Doval immediately spoke to US Secret of State Marco Rubio, while Saudi Arabia, Japan, and even Chinese Foreign Minister Jaishankar contacted him. He concluded that if India was not prepared for war, it should not have made such a mistake.
Defense experts interpreted Pravin Sawhney’s views as an admission of Indian defeat, suggesting that Indian aggression indicated a weak war strategy. They further stated that Sawhney’s speech also proved India itself approached the United States for a ceasefire.
